Last week I talked about how asking questions can help you reuse and refresh old content in a fun and engaging way. This week, I am going to dive a little deeper into the psychology behind asking questions and why they are so effective, especially when it comes to persuading your potential customers to make a conversion.
How many times a day are you told to do something? Whether you know it or not, each day you are asked hundreds of times to “buy now,” “learn more,” “act now,” or something similar. Usually, these requests come disguised in a catchier slogan with a reason attached, like L’Oreal’s famous slogan, “You’re Worth It,” (which is always followed by a purchase request).
Instead of telling you to “buy now because you’re worth it,” what if L’Oreal dared to ask you if you think you’re worth it?
Research by Jonah Berger of the Wharton School of Business tells us that might be a smart move. Why? Questions change our focus…
Imagine a commercial or social media post where L’Oreal said, “Why do you think you deserve to buy this makeup?” All of a sudden, your role as the listener has shifted. You are now figuring out why you deserve the product rather than listening to someone else tell you that you deserve it. And we’ve always known that compliance is better when it’s your idea versus someone else’s. If you want to experiment with this concept, ask a kid why they should do their homework instead of telling them to do their homework and observe the difference in outcome.
Some marketers go half way and pose questions followed by an answer to engage their consumers, but few let the consumer answer on their own. For example, has Nike ever asked you why you should “Just Do It”? Has Apple ever asked why you should “Think Different?”
What if you decided to be bold and ask someone one day why they think your product or service is important and that’s it? How many people do you think would stop and think about you compared to if you simply told them (again) why your product or service is important?
While putting the power back in the hands of a consumer with a question (not immediately followed by your answer) can feel uncertain, it could be the very thing that speeds up your conversion process.
Do you think you’ll try it? Why?
